


Tis the Season

by starkly



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Christmas, Gen, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-21
Updated: 2011-12-21
Packaged: 2017-11-05 23:52:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/412420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starkly/pseuds/starkly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony tries to convince Natasha to participate in a Christmastime prank. It doesn’t exactly work, but the end results are amusing just the same.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tis the Season

**Author's Note:**

> I felt compelled to throw my own Avengers holiday fic into the fray. Why are bad Christmas sweaters so entertaining. Written for the prompt "new profile picture" at [comment_fic](http://comment-fic.livejournal.com/302017.html) @ livejournal.

“Nat, if you don't do it, all our hard work will have been for nothing.”

Natasha looked up from her paperwork long enough to raise a delicate eyebrow at Tony, who was sitting on the edge of her desk and trying to look as beseeching as possible. It wasn't a look that fit Tony Stark very well. “I find it hard to believe any work went into that scheme at all.”

“It's not a scheme,” Tony protested, rolling his eyes. “Calling it a scheme makes it sound devious.”

“All right, how about ‘that harebrained plot of yours’?”

“That's even worse, now you sound like a cartoon supervillain.”

Sighing, Natasha finally set down her pen so that she could put her full attention into refusing Tony Stark. It had become a fine art for her at this point. “I said no.”

“Don't be like that, come on!” Tony tried to pout but it just made him look confused. “You're the last piece of the puzzle, the last boss battle before saving the world, the last number needed to win at BINGO — ”

“Please stop that.”

“Not until you agree. Look, what happened to your holiday spirit? Being kind to your fellow, uh, human beings?”

“That’s certainly something, coming from you.”

“Don’t be a Grinch, Nat!”

“You’re being childish — ”

“We even got Banner to do it!” Tony interrupted, like that would be the piece of information to seal the deal. “Wasn’t even that hard.”

“Actually, I’m surprised you agreed to it,” Natasha said pointedly, crossing her arms over her chest. “How drunk were you?”

“I was completely sober, thank you.” He balked as Natasha stared at him. “I might have had a few drinks.” More staring. “Enough to pass out afterwards.”

“Get out of my office, Tony.”

Tony held up a hand, motioning for her to wait while he fished his cell phone out of his pocket. “Just do one thing for me. Smile for the camera?” Natasha’s annoyed expression didn’t change as Tony snapped a picture. “Great. Make sure to check S.H.I.E.L.D.’s database later tonight.”

And he was gone before she could snatch the phone from his hands and break it into pieces.

* * *

When Natasha accessed the S.H.I.E.L.D. database later that day, as per Tony’s instructions and a terribly unfortunate sense of curiosity on her part, she was greeted by a garishly bright, red and green layout that played “Jingle Bells” no matter what file you opened. Groaning, she accessed each of the files for the Avengers Initiative to survey the damage.

The profile picture of each Avenger, Bruce included, now sported the hero in question wearing increasingly hideous Christmas sweaters. Thor had gone so far as to put on one of those reindeer headbands, and Steve’s sweater had actual pompoms attached to it. A shiny red bow was perched atop Tony’s head, and Clint was wearing a knit hat and mittens. Bruce, looking almost as drunk as Tony, had on a light-up reindeer nose. And someone (most likely Tony) had sloppily Photoshopped a matching Christmas sweater onto the image of Natasha at her desk.

The slight twitch of her lips turned into an actual smile as she checked out the information on Agent Coulson and Nick Fury. More Photoshop work had been done here, decking Coulson out in elf clothes and point hat and dressing up Fury in a Santa Claus outfit, complete with beard. Some additional text underneath Fury’s photo promised coal to everyone at S.H.I.E.L.D. for Christmas.

Tony was going to be in so much trouble for hacking their system (yet again), but as Natasha quietly closed out of everything, she figured it was worth it. She wasn’t going to be the one in trouble, anyway, and she had all these lovely photos saved on her computer for potential blackmail situations. Merry Christmas, indeed.


End file.
